The long-awaited first tranche of US M1 Abrams tanks arrived in Ukraine, a huge development in the ongoing war with Russia. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy confirmed the delivery earlier this week, which Pentagon officials believe will be a “potent deterrent” against Russian aggression.
This first tranche is part of a US commitment that will see Ukraine furnished with a total of 31 Abrams tanks. The move, announced by President Joe Biden back in January 2023, is intended to convey the unwavering support of the US toward the Ukrainian cause. Abrams is considered among the world’s most potent tanks, and their ability will dwarf most of the Russian tanks in service today.
These tanks will not turn around, on an overnight basis, battlefield dynamics. Still, they would mean very much to Ukraine in adding to its inventory of Western military equipment. For the past year, allies have been working to provide Ukraine with modern battle tanks, but their wisdom has been providing her with refurbished Soviet-era tanks. It is only since the start of 2023 that this has changed, with the United Kingdom first pledging to deliver Challenger 2 tanks and then Germany’s commitment to deliver Leopard tanks after Washington confirmed its shipment of Abrams.
These are big ones, in terms of protection, mobility, night vision, and firepower accuracy and range, for all three models of tanks: Abrams, Challenger 2, and Leopard. Now, the fact that Ukraine is going to be given all this means a tactical advantage, even though a lot is being said about what role tanks are going to play in future conflicts. Improvements in guided missiles and drone technology have long led some experts to doubt the relevance of tanks, particularly after Russia lost huge quantities during the first months of its invasion.
Rob Lee, a senior fellow at the Foreign Policy Research Institute, said it’s too early to write the tank off. He explained the disastrous losses taken by the Russians were because of poor logistical planning and sending their tanks into vulnerable positions without proper support from infantry. “It is too soon to write off the tank,” Lee noted, adding, that heavy armor remains relevant for any force planning to conduct combined-arms offensive and defensive operations.
So far, Ukraine’s modern battle tanks have hardly been used. Late August reports said that in the first thirteen weeks of counteroffensives, it had lost only five of its seventy-one Leopard 2s. Ukrainian commanders look to just be biding their time for putting an enhanced tank force into action, particularly in southern Ukraine and its flat, open terrain, very ideal for tank operations if Russian defensive lines can be breached.
With all their advanced capabilities, the Abrams tanks will be able to exploit breakthroughs. At the same time, high fuel consumption and different types of ammunition will complicate things from the point of view of logistics. Critics slam the supply of 31 Abrams as a more symbolic gesture than a strategic one, although even in small numbers, these tanks quite critically enhance Ukraine’s offensive capabilities.
President Biden once again assured that the United States was fully committed to supporting Ukraine, while one keynote emphasized the need for NATO allies to stay united. “The United States and Europe are fully united,” Biden explained, pointing to the collective effort, which is putting in what Ukraine needs militarily. This includes contributions from Germany, the United Kingdom, France, and other nations that have all given forms of military aid.
Abrams tanks integrated into Ukraine’s military strategy may turn out to be instrumental in further deepening the conflict. The tanks themselves would not alter the character of the war, but their application in combined arms operations could prove instrumental in helping Ukraine achieve its important strategic objectives, such as cutting off the land bridge between Russia and Crimea.